Six Flags Great America. Endless love. Definitely. Even though I only went there once a year when I was younger, I almost feel like I grew up there. Early memories of American Eagle and Batman (the line was almost as scary as the ride!) played a large part in my early development. I will never forget the great times I had later, in High School, just cruising down the midway with a my closest friends, laughing just cause it was great to be alive. The atmosphere is great. It might not be as heavily themed as I could wish, and it might not quite be the classic midway style that I adore Cedar Point for, but it's just nice. And, in spite of all the changes, it's still the same as when I first walked in the doors at seven years of age. Sure, I've been really ticked off at a few things, over the years. But as long as they keep my very first coaster (Whizzer), I can never really stay mad at the park.
(Yeah, so I'm just a freshman in college. If I have the memories, I'm entitled to wax philosophically about them ...)
SFWoA is my Home Park and I Love it. I go there many times during the Season and rarely get bored. IF I do get bored I leave but as soon as I get home I find myself wanting to go back. It's that whole home away from home thing.
I love venturing to other parks as well but when I go to them I can't completely "relax". SFWoA is where I go after a rough day of classes/work and I can forget about all of that and relax. I Love it :)
Feel the Strike said:
I still have no major beef with VF when it comes to Wild Thing and I have a hard time seeing your POV.
I've ridden on all the Cedar Fair Morgan Hypers and they all seem to need to have the Mid Course brake on.
I can see the heck out of PFF's POV. Anyone who used to ride WT regularly from '96-'98 would mostly share his POV. This would include my 9 year-old daughter (who got a few great rides in when she was 5). It's not a matter of brakes on or off...WT's midcourse brakes were on in the early years, too. They just weren't set to the airtime-killing intensity they are set to now.
It's a world-class ride if--and only if--they choose to operate it like one.
VF management is well aware everyday operations are sub-par. I believe they were informed of that rather bluntly during RCCGB's last visit.
There have been some occasions where they've actually let it run loose...but you just have to catch it on a good night.
As it stands, VF is so short on thrill rides they'll get the ridership anyway and feel no need to change. Under its new bottom-line oriented management, I don't expect WT's ride to consistently improve either.
At least I can use my pass to visit parks that think better of me.
-'Playa
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The CPlaya 100--6 days, 9 parks, 47 coasters, 2037 miles and a winner.....LoCoSuMo.
Although SFMM is not my homepark (Do I have a homepark? I'm in Tucson!), I have visited it eight times. In those eight park visits, I've ridden every coaster I could ride and although they are fun, the park is getting a tiny bit boring to me. Maybe it's because I've visited so many parks that I feel stand above it in one way or another. I know if I got the chance to go to SFMM again, I know I would. I'd simply go to ride X, Riddler, Goliath in the back, Gold Rusher at night, and maybe Colossus. And above all else, I just like the atmosphere of an amusement park and SFMM isn't too far away. Now if only I could get to Cliff's...
As for the whole Morgan hyper thing, I rode Steel Force 11 times in a day in early July and the MCBRs were hardly on at all, leaving for much airtime.
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I was asked to describe X in one word. The word? -- OhmygoshwhathaveIgottenmyselfintothisisthescariest
thingintheworldhelpmeIamgoingtodieAHHHH!!!
*** This post was edited by haux on 9/17/2002. ***
Maybe the problems affecting VF's,WOF's &DP's hypers is also affecting both FOF and Anaconda at PKD and that's the reason behind having the MCBR's set in such a way as to practically halt the train half way through the course.
I can recall back when I first rode Anaconda in 92 the MCBR's weren't as forceful as they are today which made for a much smoother ride through the butterfly element & corkscrews back then,on FOF I can see why a MCBR is required however,it's a requirement because unlike JJ which unloads in the station FOF at both PKD & PKI unload in the holding brake area just before the station.
Is the MCBR on FOF at PKI just as forceful as the one on PKD's FOF is?
Feel the Strike said:
Would it be possible that the reason the train is set at a lower speed through the camelbacks is so they don't run into any problem with the brakes, and possibly an accident if they needed to stack on a three train operation?
Nothing new here....I've been saying this for years, right PFF?
While the collision scenario is a bit of a stretch (with two more 'zones' between the first set of prestation brakes and the station itself) any longtime visitor has probably seen the trains come to a hard stop on the first set of prestation brakes when the PLCs 'feel' the train's coming in too fast.
Of course, anyone watching the ride long enough from the station can see this anyway.
So, right now maintainance is trying to test to see exactly how light they can run the Mid Course Brakes without causing damage to the ride.
Nahhhh. Maintenance always runs 'em loose during Harvest Weekends (fka Halloweekends). They don't have to spare the braking system for the remainder of the season and they're overhauling them in the offseason anyway.
Personally, I hope that Cedar Fair can...........set up a similar braking system to that of Millenium Force.
They could get a redesign from other Arrow/Morgan alumni too who'd be more familiar with the product. Where'd Steve Okamoto go again?
Valleyfair isn't toning down Wild Thing to make it appeal to families...
You aren't hearing negative comments from enthusiasts because VF sucks and is an awful park blah blah blah. You're hearing frustration because it's a just a few tweaks here and there from being a genuine butt-kicking, best-kept-secret hidden jewel.
WT doesn't have to be the Morgan hyper the world forgot. High Roller really could be a Top 25 coaster. The IAD trains already give it an advantage over anything and everything hogtied to a PTC with individual ratcheting lapbars or a Gerstlauer.
I'm no engineer, but I believe that it WT's first two prestation zones were rebuilt into a single longer run it could withstand the desired higher speeds.
Again--I'm no engineer, but I believe a brake run on the High Roller's second turn could slow the train enough to make the final dip safe without robbing the rest of the return run of airtime.
But who's going to believe these investments will increase ridership or justify themselves in terms of ROI? You see, that's why I doubetd the new management would make these changes.
Nor am I saying maintenance isn't trying. It's only fair to say that WT has been consistently better this season than in the previous two years. The braking--while still heavy--leaves a little air in the back seat that wasn't always there in '99-'01. The back feels like the middle did in the glory days. I also must say the Space Shot has been rather good this year, too.
Why am I responding in so much detail? Because I have a pretty good idea who you are. Welcome to the board and please bear with us and our opinions.
-'Playa
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The CPlaya 100--6 days, 9 parks, 47 coasters, 2037 miles and a winner.....LoCoSuMo.
*** This post was edited by CoastaPlaya on 9/18/2002. ***
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